veritas
Member
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2016
- Messages
- 40
I was diagnosed as “hyperthyroid” 2 years ago, and again a couple of months ago. After discovering Dr. Peat and these forums very recently, I’m questioning whether I am hyperthyroid, or really hypothyroid with classic hyper symptoms like insomnia, adrenaline/tachycardia, and the associated adrenal and blood sugar issues.
How should I go about figuring out if I am hypo or hyper?
From my most recent lab tests (hoping someone can help me out interpreting these, not sure if all are needed for this question but here goes):
Thyroglobulin Antibodies - 5.4mg/dL (4.0 - 6.4)
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies - 351 IU/mL (<9)
Hemoglobin A1C - 5.7% of total Hgb (<5.7) (“Consistent with increased risk of diabetes (prediabetes)”)
Insulin (fasting) - 5.1 uIU/mL (2.0-19.6)
T3, Free - 7.2 pg/mL (2.3 - 4.2)
T4, Free, Non-Dialysis - 2.5 ng/dL (0.8 - 1.8)
TSH - < 0.01 mIU/L (0.40 - 4.50)
Chemistry:
Glucose (fasting) - 102 MG/DL (65-99)
Low cortisol overall, and my nighttime cortisol is <0.34.
I have a (very) large amount of additional test results and data (blood, adrenal, food allergies, etc.), if anything else is relevant/needed.
Background info in case it’s relevant:
I am 5’8’’, female, 34 years old, and I usually weigh between 155-165 lbs, this goes up and down seemingly endlessly. I always weigh myself first thing in the morning. My appetite changes frequently. I tend to gain 3-5 lbs in the days leading up to my period, then lose the following week.
I have a history of long term use (10 years, stopped around 2007) of the bc pill, as well as OTC sleep aids (10 years as well, stopped two years ago).
Tachycardia was pronounced two years ago which led to a cardiologist’s visit, nothing "wrong" with my heart but she informally diagnosed me on the spot with hyperthyroidism, I saw two endocrinologists after that who did blood work and diagnosed me with hyper as well and strongly recommended the medication/radioactive iodine/and surgical route (I avoided all of those, but take Atenolol 25mg broken in half, one in morning, one in evening, for perhaps 2 weeks at a time, then wean myself off carefully, gauge myself, and go back on if needed - not sure if this is the absolute best protocol, but so far I have no markedly ill effects).
Resting heart rate lately has been around 85, but depends... on what, I'm not sure. A year ago it was 100-130 sitting still doing nothing. Hotter temperatures worsen the increased heart rate, and overall I feel physically awful in hotter temperatures, agitated, fatigued. Winter is a bit more comfortable.
Important symptoms seem, for me, to be: weight gain (two years ago at the time of my diagnosis I was 180), rapid/increased heart rate immediately with even simple exertion, fatigue on and off throughout the day, headaches (possibly just poor ergonomics, neck tension), and insomnia. It takes me a long while to get to sleep, some nights it is just impossible, other nights easier, possibly a dietary connection there that I am missing. I wake up 2-3 times per night every single night, with rapid heart beat, craving sweets/extremely hungry. Dr. Peat's salt/sugar combo has been helping, as well as ice cream before bed.
Other things: I have combination oily/normal skin but no signs of aging, no wrinkles/pigmentation/dry spots, and no acne. Hair is dry and seems to go through periods of light thinning (I abuse my hair, though). Lips are always dry, but not cracked at corners. Brittle, thin nails. Pressure often behind the eyes but no bulging. No pronounced mood disturbances, a little weepy in the hours before my period. Been supplementing with Niacinamide 500mg, twice a day, which seems to have a very subtle and pleasant sedating effect on my mood. I get irritable if I don't eat frequently, but when I don't eat frequently I lose my appetite, which starts a bad cycle particularly in mornings and around tight work schedule. I am a coffee person - 2, 3 large cups a day at least. I cut out sugar in my coffee for the last year, but have added it back in the last few days (which has been wonderful).
I used to have crippling menstrual cramps and long periods, 6+ days, when I was a teenager. Now, some cramping on and off, and 2-day periods that come back 2 days later for a few hours and disappear. My very “pear” body shape seems to scream high estrogen, plus long history of taking the pill. After stopping the OTC sleep aids 2 years ago, I switched to 5-8mg nightly melatonin and primrose oil, and just stopped that a few days ago after reading about their involvement with estrogen, and oddly I feel like “everything” in my entire body has improved slightly even in this short span of time. Plus a raw carrot every day, and coconut oil.
I tried Prometrium (progesterone) 2 months ago, for two nights. I took them 2 days before my period (no ill effects while taking them, except a woozy feeling, and I slept somewhat better), but am not sure if that was the correct thing to do. My period was delayed for almost 2 weeks. After a week or so I became extremely ill on and off for a week or two, incapacitated, heart pounding, headache, nausea, then mostly fine the next day, then back to being very sick, up and down. Made the connection finally after much digging and confusion to the progesterone, and perhaps taking it incorrectly, and/or its increasing estrogen in my body - I really have no idea, still trying to figure out what exactly went wrong (or right). This is not central to my question in this particular thread, but any advice on progesterone is greatly, greatly appreciated as my gut tells me that progesterone would be a good thing, but I am concerned as to how precisely to take it and what to expect. I ordered Dr. Peat's Vitamin E + progesterone supplement, should get to me today, and am trying to understand exactly how I need to take it because I'm scared of feeling as unbelievably sick as I did with the Prometrium. Though I have read that it will "get worse before it gets better" in terms of estrogen dominance. I thought, "Well, I'll just take a drop of it every few days or so," and then I came across something this morning that warned to not take too little or else you'll feel worse - you have to take a certain higher dose, consistently. Again, suggestions for this process are very welcome.
My temperature this morning before I got out of bed was 97.4. Sitting still, currently, my heart rate is 77. I had 3 boiled eggs for breakfast plus orange juice about 30-45 minutes ago, sitting still in a temperate room, and my temperature is now 98.1.
Does this all mean I am in fact hypo, with some symptoms simply “masking” as hyper? Thank you in advance for any guidance. Two years in and I am still trying to wrap my head around all of this. I seem to learn something new and/or conflicting every single day and the information never seems to end.
*Edit: I forgot to mention that anxiety is a daily issue, generally in the form of work-related performance anxiety, occasional panic attacks, and classic introversion/need for ample amounts of alone time to feel "okay." I don't have what I think would be seen as social anxiety or "mental"/psychological anxiety (negative thoughts, etc. - not much of that), but there is definitely an anxiety component to my physiological state, probably just from the accelerated heart rate and heat intolerance. Not sure, but thought I'd mention it as a "symptom."
* Edit: In the last year, I have also had a lot of (holistic) dentistry done to correct years of avoiding a previous dentist and just generally having lots of dental issues for unknown reasons. In the last 8 months I have had several crowns, a couple of root canals, and an extraction. No amalgam ever.
How should I go about figuring out if I am hypo or hyper?
From my most recent lab tests (hoping someone can help me out interpreting these, not sure if all are needed for this question but here goes):
Thyroglobulin Antibodies - 5.4mg/dL (4.0 - 6.4)
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies - 351 IU/mL (<9)
Hemoglobin A1C - 5.7% of total Hgb (<5.7) (“Consistent with increased risk of diabetes (prediabetes)”)
Insulin (fasting) - 5.1 uIU/mL (2.0-19.6)
T3, Free - 7.2 pg/mL (2.3 - 4.2)
T4, Free, Non-Dialysis - 2.5 ng/dL (0.8 - 1.8)
TSH - < 0.01 mIU/L (0.40 - 4.50)
Chemistry:
Glucose (fasting) - 102 MG/DL (65-99)
Low cortisol overall, and my nighttime cortisol is <0.34.
I have a (very) large amount of additional test results and data (blood, adrenal, food allergies, etc.), if anything else is relevant/needed.
Background info in case it’s relevant:
I am 5’8’’, female, 34 years old, and I usually weigh between 155-165 lbs, this goes up and down seemingly endlessly. I always weigh myself first thing in the morning. My appetite changes frequently. I tend to gain 3-5 lbs in the days leading up to my period, then lose the following week.
I have a history of long term use (10 years, stopped around 2007) of the bc pill, as well as OTC sleep aids (10 years as well, stopped two years ago).
Tachycardia was pronounced two years ago which led to a cardiologist’s visit, nothing "wrong" with my heart but she informally diagnosed me on the spot with hyperthyroidism, I saw two endocrinologists after that who did blood work and diagnosed me with hyper as well and strongly recommended the medication/radioactive iodine/and surgical route (I avoided all of those, but take Atenolol 25mg broken in half, one in morning, one in evening, for perhaps 2 weeks at a time, then wean myself off carefully, gauge myself, and go back on if needed - not sure if this is the absolute best protocol, but so far I have no markedly ill effects).
Resting heart rate lately has been around 85, but depends... on what, I'm not sure. A year ago it was 100-130 sitting still doing nothing. Hotter temperatures worsen the increased heart rate, and overall I feel physically awful in hotter temperatures, agitated, fatigued. Winter is a bit more comfortable.
Important symptoms seem, for me, to be: weight gain (two years ago at the time of my diagnosis I was 180), rapid/increased heart rate immediately with even simple exertion, fatigue on and off throughout the day, headaches (possibly just poor ergonomics, neck tension), and insomnia. It takes me a long while to get to sleep, some nights it is just impossible, other nights easier, possibly a dietary connection there that I am missing. I wake up 2-3 times per night every single night, with rapid heart beat, craving sweets/extremely hungry. Dr. Peat's salt/sugar combo has been helping, as well as ice cream before bed.
Other things: I have combination oily/normal skin but no signs of aging, no wrinkles/pigmentation/dry spots, and no acne. Hair is dry and seems to go through periods of light thinning (I abuse my hair, though). Lips are always dry, but not cracked at corners. Brittle, thin nails. Pressure often behind the eyes but no bulging. No pronounced mood disturbances, a little weepy in the hours before my period. Been supplementing with Niacinamide 500mg, twice a day, which seems to have a very subtle and pleasant sedating effect on my mood. I get irritable if I don't eat frequently, but when I don't eat frequently I lose my appetite, which starts a bad cycle particularly in mornings and around tight work schedule. I am a coffee person - 2, 3 large cups a day at least. I cut out sugar in my coffee for the last year, but have added it back in the last few days (which has been wonderful).
I used to have crippling menstrual cramps and long periods, 6+ days, when I was a teenager. Now, some cramping on and off, and 2-day periods that come back 2 days later for a few hours and disappear. My very “pear” body shape seems to scream high estrogen, plus long history of taking the pill. After stopping the OTC sleep aids 2 years ago, I switched to 5-8mg nightly melatonin and primrose oil, and just stopped that a few days ago after reading about their involvement with estrogen, and oddly I feel like “everything” in my entire body has improved slightly even in this short span of time. Plus a raw carrot every day, and coconut oil.
I tried Prometrium (progesterone) 2 months ago, for two nights. I took them 2 days before my period (no ill effects while taking them, except a woozy feeling, and I slept somewhat better), but am not sure if that was the correct thing to do. My period was delayed for almost 2 weeks. After a week or so I became extremely ill on and off for a week or two, incapacitated, heart pounding, headache, nausea, then mostly fine the next day, then back to being very sick, up and down. Made the connection finally after much digging and confusion to the progesterone, and perhaps taking it incorrectly, and/or its increasing estrogen in my body - I really have no idea, still trying to figure out what exactly went wrong (or right). This is not central to my question in this particular thread, but any advice on progesterone is greatly, greatly appreciated as my gut tells me that progesterone would be a good thing, but I am concerned as to how precisely to take it and what to expect. I ordered Dr. Peat's Vitamin E + progesterone supplement, should get to me today, and am trying to understand exactly how I need to take it because I'm scared of feeling as unbelievably sick as I did with the Prometrium. Though I have read that it will "get worse before it gets better" in terms of estrogen dominance. I thought, "Well, I'll just take a drop of it every few days or so," and then I came across something this morning that warned to not take too little or else you'll feel worse - you have to take a certain higher dose, consistently. Again, suggestions for this process are very welcome.
My temperature this morning before I got out of bed was 97.4. Sitting still, currently, my heart rate is 77. I had 3 boiled eggs for breakfast plus orange juice about 30-45 minutes ago, sitting still in a temperate room, and my temperature is now 98.1.
Does this all mean I am in fact hypo, with some symptoms simply “masking” as hyper? Thank you in advance for any guidance. Two years in and I am still trying to wrap my head around all of this. I seem to learn something new and/or conflicting every single day and the information never seems to end.
*Edit: I forgot to mention that anxiety is a daily issue, generally in the form of work-related performance anxiety, occasional panic attacks, and classic introversion/need for ample amounts of alone time to feel "okay." I don't have what I think would be seen as social anxiety or "mental"/psychological anxiety (negative thoughts, etc. - not much of that), but there is definitely an anxiety component to my physiological state, probably just from the accelerated heart rate and heat intolerance. Not sure, but thought I'd mention it as a "symptom."
* Edit: In the last year, I have also had a lot of (holistic) dentistry done to correct years of avoiding a previous dentist and just generally having lots of dental issues for unknown reasons. In the last 8 months I have had several crowns, a couple of root canals, and an extraction. No amalgam ever.
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